About this item
In this changing world of what is socially and politically "correct," polygamy is perhaps the last great taboo. Over the last thousand years, monogamy - at least in name - has been the default setting for coupledom and procreation in the Western world. And yet, throughout history, there have been inklings that "one-man, one-woman" is an uncomfortable institution for human beings. The consistently high rate of marital "cheating" by both sexes, plus the persistent interest in a variety of sexual partners - on the part of women as well as men - suggest strongly that monogamy isn't easy, and certainly isn't "natural," for either sex. Esteemed writer and evolutionary biologist David P. Barash tackles this uncomfortable finding: that humans are actually biologically and anthropologically inclined toward polygamy.
About the Author
David P. Barash is an evolutionary biologist (Ph.D. zoology, Univ. of Wisconsin) and professor of psychology emeritus at the University of Washington. He has written, co-authored or edited 41 books, dealing with various aspects of evolution, animal and human behavior, and peace studies. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received numerous awards. He is most proud, however, of his very personal collaboration with Judith Eve Lipton, his three children, five grandchildren, and having been named by an infamous rightwing nut in his book "The Professors" as one of the "101 most dangerous professors" in the United States. His dangerousness may or may not be apparent from his writing!
